The Eve of Battle
by mangyhalfbreed
Summary: A moment of grief before Remus Lupin leaves his wife and son for the Battle of Hogwarts.


"Remus.. Remus, are you absolutely_ mental?_ You must be! I can't let you go on your own! Not without_ me_! No, I WON'T. You're my husband - damn it! We vowed to stick this through together, through b-better or w-w-worse!" Tonks cried to him through a pained whisper - her hair a rather depressing mousy brown with tear-stained cheeks.

"Nymphadora-," he tried to interrupt, his hands resting on either sides of her shoulders before abruptly being cut off.

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," She murmured rather pathetically. Tonks was tough, the first Auror of her kind and one of the best! Crying.. begging.. It just wasn't like her. That alone showed the desperation of this situation.

Remus gave his signature lop-sided smile, though it appeared sadder than usual. "Now, let's not go back to this. I've been the only one permitted to call you Nymphadora since we first met. I rather liked being an exception to the rule. And now, especially since you're my wife and the mother of my child, I'd prefer we not change that, love," He said teasingly, clearly trying his hardest to lighten the mood.

It wasn't working. He knew it. But it wouldn't stop Moony from trying. "Harry needs me there, darling," He whispered, tucking a lock of brown hair curtly behind her ear. The werewolf leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching softly. "He'll need all the help he can acquire." Remus tried reasoning, releasing a disgruntled sigh.

"Obviously, Remus. I know what you have to do. I know you have obligations to Harry and The Order. I know how badly you want to fight. But so do_ I!" _She said with a light stamp of her foot. "What you're asking of me.. to stay behind and watch you walk off to your-..!" She couldn't say it. No, not for the life of her could Nymphadora Tonks manage the word, 'death.' They'd spent so much time talking about this over the past year. The risks outweighed everything. Many people will die. Many people will never see their friends and family again. Never see Remus again? She couldn't imagine it.

"Nymphadora, I _will_ come back. Do you lack so much confidence in me?" He said with a small smirk. "No force on this Earth, not even Voldemort, could keep me from you and our son." Remus whispered, cupping the woman's cheeks within his large hands.

"Let me go with you.. Remus, _please. _Not you.._ I can't lose you.. _Oh, please," She sunk further into her mate, feeling her hands tremble with the horror at the thought of him disappearing into thin air.

"Shh," he cooed softly, moving his arms around her and rubbing gentle circles into the small of her back in a soothing motion. "You won't lose me, Nymphadora. You won't," he whispered into her ear. "There's nothing I would love more than to spend the Final Battle fighting along side you, Dora. But if anything did happen.. to you.. It would undoubtedly be the death of me. I could not go on," He could've shuddered at the very thought.

"You must stay. Ted needs his Mummy, love. He needs you here with him and your mother, remaining strong for both of them. I refuse to abandon you. No, never again - I refuse to ever make that mistake twice.." Moony continued. Remus would obviously try his hardest NOT to die, to return to his family so they could go on and live out the rest of their days in relative happiness. Yes, that's what Moony craves most of all. But the possibility is always there. He despised the thought of leaving his child, knowing how badly Harry suffered from the loss of dear James and Lily. But he needs to _fight_; to stand up to darkness along side his comrades and see this through to the very end. He pressed his lips into her hair, inhaling her scent. Vanilla, he surmised.

The two of them gradually turned their gaze to the infant sleeping in the child's crib beside them. It was bright orange and covered with polkadots. Tonks had begged Remus to let her buy it early on in her pregnancy. He gave in.

"He's so beautiful," Remus whispered - still unable to comprehend that he, a werewolf, a blood-thirsty monster once every month, could be a part in creating something so precious. "With his mother's hair," he smirked towards his wife after giving Teddy's currently turquoise colored locks a pointed look.

"He has his father's eyes," Tonks murmured, resting against Moony's thick chest - listening intently to the beating of his heart. "Remus?" She asked suddenly.

"Yes?" He asked softly.

"You do know that I love you, don't you?"

And he truly smiled. "I don't know how I ever became so lucky, nor if I deserve it, but, yes, I do know. And I love you, Nymphadora. I've practically loved you since the moment you ambushed me in Grimmauld when you first joined the Order. I've loved you since catching you after tripping over that bloody troll leg umbrella stand. I've loved you since you discovered the truth about me.. and you made it seem as though it didn't matter, as though I'm nothing but a normal man. I _love you. _Anything, _everything_ about you."

Her breath caught in her throat and then she sighed.

He would have to leave, soon.

And they both knew it.

"Darling, may I-.. May I have a moment alone with Ted?"

Tonks stifled a sob and clung to him for dear life. And they stood like that for what seemed like hours. Holding each other, breathing, eyes shut. It took everything Nymphadora had in her to finally nod her head, stepping away and wiping off several tears on the sleeve of her jumper. She left the room without a word - knowing how important it was for Remus to say what possibly could be his last words to his child.


End file.
